PAGE 12 PLAIN TALK • PRESS & DAKOTAN ? WINTER SPORTS 2015 Delvaux Returns To Helm Of Tanager Wrestling Program BY ELYSE BRIGHTMAN WRESTLING Elyse.brightman@plaintalk.net The new head coach of the Vermillion High School wrestling team, Joe Delvaux has one goal in mind as the season begins. “As a coach, I want to win every dual that we are in,” he said. “I know that that’s not always going to happen, but last year they were able to win, I think, 17 duals with some openings in the weight classes. They gave up some spots right away. This year, I guess our goal is to fill those weight classes and continue to win duals.” Delvaux has previously served as the head coach and assistant coach for Vermillion wrestling and stepped away after the 2010 season, where the team saw its best finish since the early 1980’s. He’s decided to take on the role again after last season’s coach, Hazen Bye, wanted to have more of an opportunity to watch his son, Reagan, wrestle in college. “I’ve just been thinking more and more about getting back into coaching. I really miss it in in the winter time,” Delvaux said. “I came back and things have been going really well. It’s been really great to be back in the room. I love practice and working out with the kids and we have pretty good numbers.” This year, Vermillion will be returning five of its eight state qualifiers from last season, all of whom will serve as team captains. “These happen to be the state qualifiers, but they were actually chosen by their peers to be the team captains,” Delvaux said. One of two seniors on the team, Noah Westergaard, Dec. 5 Dec. 8 Dec. 10 S.F. Rosoevelt Inv. 9 a.m. vs. S.F. Roosevelt 6:30 p.m. at Brandon Valley/vs. Dakota Valley/Yankton 5 p.m. Dec. 15 at Tri-Valley/vs. West Central 5 p.m. Dec. 28-29 Floyd Farrand Inv. at S.F. 11 a.m. Jan. 5 vs. Dakota Valley/Elk PointJefferson/S.F. Lincoln 5 p.m. Jan. 9 Brandon Valley Inv. 9 a.m. Jan. 14 vs. Madison/Dell Rapids 5:30 p.m. Jan. 19 at Tea Area/vs. Lennox 5:30 p.m. Jan. 23 Dakota XII Conference at Elk Point 11 a.m. Jan. 26 at Canton/vs. Beresford 5:30 p.m. Feb. 4 at Wagner/vs. Crofton-Bloom?eld 5:30 p.m. Feb. 6 Yankton Inv. 9 a.m. Feb. 11 at Dakota Valley/vs. S.F. Washington/Harrisburg 5 p.m. Feb. 13 West Central Inv. 10 a.m. Feb. 18-19 Region 2A 5 p.m./6 p.m. Feb. 26-27 State at Rapid City Vermillion’s Trey Hage will wrestle in the 182 pound weight class. Westergaard has only been wrestling the past few years, but has seen early success in a range of classes, from heavy weight to the 180’s where he currently competes. But no matter who he is wrestling, Westergaard is just happy to be competing. “I think is just happy to be successful in wrestling,” Delvaux said. “He’s wrestled guys that were like 285 pounds when he weighed 190, so he’s just really happy to be in the room all the time. He has a very upbeat attitude. He doesn’t take things too serious.” Trey Hage, a sophomore, is currently ranked No. 1 in the 132 weight class and finished last season placing third in the state. “(Hage is) just a really technical wrestler, always in really good position and uses his position no matter where he’s at to score points, so he really knows his way around the mat. Has the ability, I think, to win in a handful of weight classes,” Delvaux said. Carter Kratz, Jake Husby and Noah Walker round out the five captains and are all part of the strong junior class to watch for this year. “Carter Kratz is a really technical wrestler,” Delvaux said. “Has a lot of what we just call funk, where you really can’t just put a finger on how and why he’s ending up in that position, he just has the ability to score points out of mistakes that his opponents are making.” Husby has what Delvaux calls a “Marine Corps mentality” with a strong work ethic and leads by example. “He’s quiet, and he has a lot of integrity. He does what’s right just because and incredibly disciplined,” Delvaux said. Walker, competing in the 145 weight class, is another new wrestler who’s driven simply by his competitive nature which has led to his early success. “He just puts his nose to the ground and goes to work. He works really, really hard, Vermillion Bowlers Look Gym To Build On Experience GYMNASTICS Dec. 12 FROM PAGE 11 BY ELYSE BRIGHTMAN Dec. 17 BOWLING they seem to have a good attitude, so with their attitude Last season’s young bowlcoupled with their athletiNov. 13 vs. Brandon Valley 4 p.m. ing squad at Vermillion High Nov. 20 vs. Canton 4 p.m. cism hopefully we can find Dec. 4 vs. O’Gorman 4 p.m. School is back with another a few girls to help round out Dec. 11 vs. S.F. Roosevelt 4 p.m. year of experience under our varsity squad and make a Jan. 8 vs. S.F. Lincoln 4 p.m. Jan. 15 at Dell Rapids 4 p.m. their belts. pretty good team this year.” Jan. 22 at Yankton 4 p.m. “Our kids have always She adds the best thing to Jan. 29 vs. West Central 4 p.m. been tournament tough and Feb. 5 at S.F. Washington 4 p.m. do is to expect the unex(Eastway Bowl) now have the experience to pected. Feb. 12 at Harrisburg 4 p.m. step up with confidence,” “You never know what to (Eastway Bowl) said head coach Mike LoveFeb. 19 vs. Brookings 4 p.m. expect with gymnastics and Feb. 26 State Tournament at joy. who might shock you and Empire Bowl, Sioux Falls The 2014-15 team finished who might just get it one day All 2015-16 Home Matches and figure it out,” FitzsimAt Yankton Family Fun Center mons said. “Gymnastics is BOWLING | PAGE 13 a sport that takes a lot of repetitions before it just happens, so we are hoping that returning starter and Brooks some of our girls that put in a is expecting Jensen and Swee- lot of time last year can make ney to continue to play well some great improvements off each other on offense. FROM PAGE 12 this year and play a major “When Twila is in with role for us.” Kacie, Twila can play on the As a first year head coach score both inside and out, block and we can bring Kacie last year, Fitzsimmons guided so there will be times where inside because Kacie can the team to a state meeting we put her on the block and knock down inside jumpers showing and though the team she’s got good post moves too,” he said. didn’t make the podium, the and we’ll expect her to score The Tanagers season score improvements seen down low.” ended last year with a nail throughout the year gave a Melstad led the Tanagers biting one-point loss to Lenpositive outlook. in scoring with 17 points nox in the first round of the “We were pleased to make per game and was named to Region 4A tournament. it to the state meet and we the All-Conference team as a “(We) lost a lot of close did fairly well overall as a freshman. games, so that’s something “Haleigh is more of a wing we’re kind of building off of,” team,” she said “It wasn’t good enough to be on the player for us. She shoots the Brooks said. podium, but with every ball well from the outside, He is looking to his entire meet we were improving as attacks the hoop really well,” roster to compete and be a team and our score greatly Brooks said. “She runs the competitive against the tough increased and that’s really two or the three for us and Dakota XII and Region 4A what we’re looking for so to just a really good perimeter schedule. Vermillion opens start this season.” player.” the season on Tuesday, Dec. One of those girls FitzsimThough two of the return- 12 in Elk Point, one of two mons is looking at to make ing starters will be sophoteams the Tanagers will face an impact is freshman Carter mores this year, Brooks is twice during the regular Williams, who as an eighth staying away from the excuse season schedule. grader was the lone Tanager of a young team. “Our schedule is just over- on the podium at the state “We got a good group of all tough, and on top of that, meet finishing second on the seniors this year too that the two teams that we play balance beam and placing have had a lot of playing extwice out of our conference high in all-around. perience,” he said. “We actu- are Elk Point and West Cen“Even though she is a ally feel that even though we tral and those could be the freshman, she is our veteran are young, we probably feel two best teams in the confer- gymnast,” Fitzsimmons said. more experienced this year ence this year, so there’s four than we were last just beof our games right games cause all those kids who were right there against two, topyoung coming back have five teams,” Brooks said. “It’s been playing for a couple never easy and it’s not going years now, so we expect to be to be easy this year, but we very completive.” understand that and take it One of those seniors, 6’3” game by game and see where FROM PAGE 12 Twila Sweeney, is the final we end up.” goes on and we hope to be playing our best basketball in early March when the NIOBRARA-VERDIGRE Region tournament comes along,” he said. “We feel that 12/12........................................ at Bloom?eld Boys’ Basketball 12/15....................................... vs. Ewing (N) if we can defend, rebound, 12/3................................................. at Stuart 12/21..............................................at Wausa 12/4.............. vs. Elgin Public-Pope John (V) play hard and take care of 12/28-29 .... Verdigre Booster Holiday Tourn. 12/7........................vs. O’Neill St. Mary’s (N) 1/5.............................vs. Neligh-Oakdale (V) the basketball that we can be 12/11 ......................... at Clearwater-Orchard 1/7-9 ................. Wausa Post-Holiday Tourn. competitive with the difficult 12/12........................................ at Bloom?eld 1/12......................................... vs. Wynot (N) Elyse.brightman@plaintalk.net Dec. 30 Jan. 9 Jan. 12 Jan. 16 Jan. 21 Jan. 25 VHS Boys Girls’ Basketball 12/3................................................. at Stuart 12/4.............. vs. Elgin Public-Pope John (V) 12/7........................vs. O’Neill St. Mary’s (N) 12/11 ......................... at Clearwater-Orchard 1/15.................................... at Elkhorn Valley 1/19.................at North Central (Springview) 1/23....................................vs. Creighton (N) 1/26........vs. Chambers-Wheeler Central (V) 1/28........................................ vs. Santee (V) 1/30-2/6 ..................................... NVC Tourn. 2/9............................................. at West Holt 2/12...............................vs. Boyd County (N) Vermillion’s Peyton Larson “She’s still young and has a lot to learn so we are just going to see what she can do this year. “She was in cheer before she showed up here, but that shows you the difference a couple years can make.” Williams has been on the team since her seventh grade year and has already had to adjust to two head coaches in the short amount of time. “I think (adjusting) wasn’t as difficult as we thought it would be,” Williams said. “I’m really comfortable with Fitz and I’m really glad she’s our head coach.” For Shayla Kiertzner, one of two seniors on the team, last season was about adjusting to a new coach, as well as getting back into gymnastics mode after taking a break during her sophomore season. “I think in the beginning we struggled a little bit, but by the end we pulled together and were working hard,” Kiertzner said. “We schedule that we have.” Vermillion opens the season at the Tea Area Classic tournament on Dec. 12, and begins regular season play Dec. 15 at home against Lennox, a Dakota XII and region 4 opponent who went 15-10 overall and 8-0 in region play last season. The Tanagers will be looking to last season’s leading scorer in Cooper Williams as he returns for his junior year. The 5’11” point guard aver- aged 15 points per game and four assists per game during his sophomore season. Jeremiah Johnson, 6’1”, who averaged 11 points per game last season, will also be returning for his senior season at guard. Seniors Matt Ouellette, 5’11” guard, and Brandon Mockler, 6’0” forward, who will be out for the start of the season due to injury, and 6’4” forward junior Riley Peters are expected to make Robert L. Olson Wrestling 12/5.........................................Creighton Inv. 12/12........................North Bend Central Inv. 12/19.........................................Osmond Inv. 1/9..............................................Winside Inv. 1/16.....................................Battle Creek Inv. 1/23................................Neligh-Oakdale Inv. 1/30......................................... Plainview Inv. 2/4......................................NVC Dual Tourn. 2/5...........................Clearwater-Orchard Inv. FORDYCE, NE WYNOT, NE 402-357-3508 402-357-2324 HARTINGTON, NE 402-254-3983 Member FDIC Wagner-Bon Homme Inv. noon vs. S.F. Roosevelt/ West Central 6 p.m. Vermillion Winter Wonderland Inv. 11:30 a.m. Stanley County Inv. 11 a.m. at Madison 6:30 p.m. Madison Inv. noon at Yankton 5:30 p.m. at S.F. Lincoln* 6:30 p.m. * - ppd. from Dec. 1 Feb. 5 Region 2A at Wagner 6 p.m. Feb. 12-13 State at Brookings VHS Girls 12/15....................................... vs. Ewing (N) 12/21..............................................at Wausa 12/28-29 .... Verdigre Booster Holiday Tourn. 1/7-9 ................. Wausa Post-Holiday Tourn. 1/12......................................... vs. Wynot (N) 1/15.................................... at Elkhorn Valley 1/19..................................... at North Central 1/23....................................vs. Creighton (N) 1/26........vs. Chambers-Wheeler Central (V) 1/28........................................ vs. Santee (V) 1/30-2/6 ..................................... NVC Tourn. 2/9............................................. at West Holt 2/12...............................vs. Boyd County (N) 2/19.................................. at Neligh-Oakdale but he’s also very, very competitive, he hates to lose,” Delvaux said. His approach to reaching the goal of winning every dual will be to keep the team healthy and make sure the wrestlers peak at the right time during the season. “We really want to peak at the right time and that is my job, to figure out how to make that happen,” he said. “I want to win regions pretty bad. I think if everything fell into place right we could win regions and then place in the top eight at state.” Due to inclement weather, the Tanagers first dual of the season was postponed from Dec. 1 to Tuesday, Dec. 8 when the team will take on Sioux Falls Roosevelt at home starting at 6:30 p.m. On Saturday, Dec. 5, Vermillion travels to Sioux Falls for the Sioux Falls Roosevelt Invite starting at 9 a.m. OLSON’S INSURANCE AGENCY PO Box 227, 25414 Park Avenue St., Ste. 2, Niobrara, NE 68760 Bus. (402) 857-3404 Res. (402) 857-3337 Fax (402) 857-3824 grew really comfortable really quick since she was so direct and forward, but she is a good coach.” Kiertzner saw improvements in herself after a year away from the sport and is confident going into this season. “Coming back from a break in my sophomore year, I can take last year knowing that I pushed myself as hard as I did and got as far as I did in a short time, I know I can get farther this year,” she said. That kind of confidence is what Fitzsimmons is looking for in order for the team to be successful this season. “If you can find someone athletic, who’s confident and who has a good attitude and is willing to learn the sky is the limit,” she said. “I’m not necessarily putting an expectation on the team. We’d love to make it to the state meet, so our goal would probably be qualifying out of the region meet in some form or fashion and getting to the state meet as a team.” Vermillion High School gymnastics opens the season on Dec. 12 at the Wagner Invitational after the Sioux Falls Lincoln dual that was scheduled for Dec. 1 was postponed due to weather. A make-up date has been made. The first home meet is Dec. 17 with a triangular against Sioux Falls Roosevelt and Central. impacts off the bench this season. “(They) all saw minutes off the bench last season and will be in the rotation this year and should see extended minutes,” Drake said. Vermillion’s regular season runs until Feb. 24 when the Tanagers travel to Canton to once again take on the C-Hawks in the final game before playoffs begin.